Re: [PATCH v4 3/5] commit: reword the empty-commit rebase amend error

[Phillip Wood <phillip.wood123@gmail.com>]

Hi Elijah

On 01/09/2026 23:24, Elijah Newren via GitGitGadget wrote:
> From: Elijah Newren <newren@gmail.com>
> 
> When a rebase applies a commit that becomes empty, it stops and asks the
> user to decide whether to keep it or drop it.  HEAD still points at the
> previously-applied commit at that point, so amending is refused, with:
> 
>      You are in the middle of a rebase -- cannot amend.
> 
> That message would suggest that amending is not allowed during an 'edit'
> or 'break' stop, which is misleading, plus it lacks the specificity that
> might help the user know why their particular case is a problem: the
> commit they intended to amend became empty and was dropped, so amending
> would affect the wrong commit.  Reword the error accordingly.

I agree the new message is clearer

Thanks

Phillip

> Signed-off-by: Elijah Newren <newren@gmail.com>
> ---
>   builtin/commit.c              | 2 +-
>   t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh | 2 +-
>   2 files changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/builtin/commit.c b/builtin/commit.c
> index 01b79185e7..9b6eaa3c72 100644
> --- a/builtin/commit.c
> +++ b/builtin/commit.c
> @@ -1332,7 +1332,7 @@ static int parse_and_validate_options(int argc, const char *argv[],
>   		else if (is_from_cherry_pick(whence))
>   			die(_("You are in the middle of a cherry-pick -- cannot amend."));
>   		else if (is_from_rebase_now_empty(whence))
> -			die(_("You are in the middle of a rebase -- cannot amend."));
> +			die(_("The now-empty commit has been dropped -- cannot amend."));
>   	}
>   	if (fixup_message && squash_message)
>   		die(_("options '%s' and '%s' cannot be used together"), "--squash", "--fixup");
> diff --git a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
> index 3588e16543..81f4844950 100755
> --- a/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
> +++ b/t/t3404-rebase-interactive.sh
> @@ -1880,7 +1880,7 @@ test_expect_success 'correct error message for commit --amend after empty pick'
>   	) &&
>   	echo x>file1 &&
>   	test_must_fail git commit -a --amend 2>err &&
> -	test_grep "middle of a rebase -- cannot amend." err
> +	test_grep "now-empty commit has been dropped -- cannot amend." err
>   '
>   
>   test_expect_success 'todo has correct onto hash' '